Systems and methods for configuring an electronic device for cellular-based communications

ABSTRACT

Embodiments are provided for registering an electronic device of a subscriber for cellular-based communications. According to certain aspects, the cellular-based communications may be facilitated by a data center while the electronic device is not easily within range of a cellular network, such as when the electronic device is traveling on an aircraft. The registration includes associating a subscription identification of a cellular services plan with an identification of the electronic device, from which a registration server may create an account associated with the cellular-based communications. Further, the registration server may generate a digital certificate using the electronic device identification and issue the digital certificate to the electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/291,511, filed May 30, 2014, and claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 61/901,821, filed Nov. 8, 2013. Thedisclosures of these applications are hereby incorporated by referencein their entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to non-terrestrialcommunications and, in particular, to systems, methods and techniquesfor configuring an electronic device to send and receive cellular-basedcommunications while connected to a non-terrestrial communicationnetwork.

BACKGROUND

Currently, existing airlines and other transportation companies providecommunication services to mobile or wireless devices (e.g., cellularphones, smart devices, laptops, tablet computers, etc.) when suchdevices are on-board a vehicle while the vehicle is in en route to adestination. However, the delivery of terrestrial or native features(e.g., roaming, texting, simultaneous calls, etc.) to mobile or wirelessdevices while a vehicle is in transit presents difficulties. Typically,to support native, terrestrial features of a mobile or wireless devicein a non-terrestrial environment, cellular base stations such as“picocells” are installed on-board the vehicle, and the mobile deviceconnects, via the cellular radio of the mobile device and the on-boardcellular base stations, to an on-board network. In some cases, hardwarein addition to the cellular base stations is also installed on-board thevehicle. This extraneous infrastructure is both limiting and extremelyexpensive. Moreover, the radio transmissions produced on-board thevehicle may interfere with ground-based cellular systems. For example,if mobile devices on-board the vehicle cannot find an adequate cellularband to which they may connect (e.g., when on-board cellular basestations are deactivated), the mobile devices will automaticallyincrease their power, which may interfere with ground-based terrestrialcell sites as well as quickly drain the batteries of the mobile devices.

Some existing terrestrial communications systems are able to provideinternet-based network connections to mobile devices while on-board avehicle. For example, some communications systems are equipped withWi-Fi capability that enables the mobile device to access websites andstream multimedia. However, these communications systems are not able toprovide mobile devices with terrestrial or native communication features(i.e., cellular-based communications) while the mobile devices areon-board the vehicle.

Accordingly, there is an opportunity to leverage existing communicationsinfrastructure to configure electronic devices to send and receivecellular-based communications while the electronic devices are connectedto a non-terrestrial communications network. In particular, there is anopportunity for systems and methods to securely register electronicdevices for cellular-based communications via a non-terrestrial network.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a method of issuing a certificate for an electronicdevice of a subscriber is provided. The method includes receiving acommunication initiated by the electronic device, the communicationindicating a subscription identification, examining, using one or moreprocessors, the subscription identification to identify a home networkof the subscriber, providing the subscription identification to the homenetwork of the subscriber, and receiving an identification of theelectronic device from the home network, the identification based on thesubscription identification. The method further includes creating, usingone or more processors, an account for the subscriber, the accountincluding the identification of the electronic device, generating, usingone or more processors, a digital certificate based on theidentification of the electronic device, and providing the digitalcertificate to the electronic device.

In another embodiment, a system for issuing a certificate for anelectronic device of a subscriber is provided. The system includes acommunication module adapted to connect to the electronic device and toa home network of the subscriber, a memory adapted to store a set ofnon-transitory computer executable instructions, and a processor adaptedto interface with the communication module and the memory. The processoris configured to execute the non-transitory computer executableinstructions to cause the processor to receive, via the communicationmodule, a communication initiated by the electronic device, thecommunication indicating a subscription identification, examine thesubscription identification to identify the home network of thesubscriber, and provide, via the communication module, the subscriptionidentification to the home network of the subscriber. The processor isfurther configured to execute the non-transitory computer executableinstructions to cause the processor to receive, via the communicationmodule, an identification of the electronic device from the homenetwork, the identification based on the subscription identification,create an account for the subscriber, the account including theidentification of the electronic device, generate a digital certificatebased on the identification of the electronic device, and provide, viathe communication module, the digital certificate to the electronicdevice.

In a further embodiment, a method in an electronic device of registeringthe electronic device of a subscriber with a registration server isprovided. The method includes sending a communication indicating asubscription identification to a registration server, wherein theregistration server uses the subscription identification to retrieve anidentification of the electronic device from a home network of thesubscriber, receiving, from the registration server, a notification thatan account has been established for the subscriber using theidentification of the electronic device, and establishing, using one ormore processors, a secure connection with the registration server. Themethod further includes receiving a digital certificate from theregistration server via the secure connection, wherein the registrationserver generates the digital certificate based on the identification ofthe electronic device, and storing, in a memory device, the digitalcertificate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary representation of electronic devices andcomponents capable of facilitating a ground-based registration of anelectronic device, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 depicts an example signal diagram associated with facilitating aground-based registration of an electronic device, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of electronic devices andcomponents capable of facilitating an air-based registration of anelectronic device, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts an example signal diagram associated with facilitating anair-based registration of an electronic device, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of a registration server facilitating aground-based registration of an electronic device, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 6 depicts a flow diagram of a registration server facilitating anair-based registration of an electronic device, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram of an electronic device conducting atwo-part registration, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a registration server in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an electronic device in accordance withsome embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the following text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legalscope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forthat the end of this patent and equivalents. The detailed description isto be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment since describing every possible embodiment would beimpractical. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented,using either current technology or technology developed after the filingdate of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of theclaims.

It should also be understood that, unless a term is expressly defined inthis patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term ‘_(——————)’ ishereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, there is no intentto limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or by implication,beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term should not beinterpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in anysection of this patent (other than the language of the claims). To theextent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent isreferred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning,that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader,and it is not intended that such claim term be limited, by implicationor otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless a claim element isdefined by reciting the word “means” and a function without the recitalof any structure, it is not intended that the scope of any claim elementbe interpreted based on the application of 35 U.S.C. §112, sixthparagraph.

The systems and methods as discussed herein offer an efficient andeffective technique for enabling electronic devices to engage incellular-based communications while not in range of or otherwiseconnected to a corresponding cellular-based network. In particular, thesystems and methods enable electronic devices to roam in acellular-based network, send and receive text messages (e.g., SMSmessages), and originate and terminate voice calls while the electronicdevices are connected to a wireless network on a vehicle such as anairplane. The systems and methods facilitate the resultingcellular-based communications as if the electronic devices are roamingin a cellular environment. Thus, the telephone numbers (or othersubscription identifications) associated with the electronic devices areprovided to destination devices so as to provide full transparency tothe users of the destination devices. For example, a receiving party'ssmart phone will display the telephone number of an in-air smart phoneupon receipt of a voice call initiated by the in-air smart phone.

As a result, the systems and methods enable “feature transparency,”which generally refers to providing features that are native to orprovided at wireless devices in a terrestrial environment (e.g., whilethe wireless devices are being serviced by cell sites or wireless accesspoints that are connected to a structure that is physically and fixedlyconnected to the ground), to the wireless devices when the wirelessdevices are in a non-terrestrial environment, (e.g., while the wirelessdevices are being serviced by wireless access points that are connectedto a structure that is fixedly connected to a vehicle), such as whilethe wireless or mobile device is being transported by an aircraft inflight or by a sailing boat.

The systems and methods may be facilitated by a back-end endregistration server as well as a communication application installed onan electronic device. A user interacts with the electronic device toenable the electronic device to perform a two-part registration, wherethe first part of the registration is performed when the electronicdevice is connected to a ground-based (i.e., terrestrial) network andthe second part of the registration is performed when the electronicdevice is connected to a non-ground-based (i.e., non-terrestrial)network. During the ground-based registration, the electronic devicesends a communication (e.g., an SMS) to the registration server, whereinthe communication identifies a cellular service provider associated theelectronic device. The registration server retrieves, from a homenetwork associated with the cellular service provider, a uniqueidentification of the electronic device itself. Further, theregistration server creates an application account using the deviceidentification, and further generates and issues a digital certificateto the electronic device using the device identification.

During the air-based registration, which for example may be facilitatedduring a flight, the electronic device connects to an access point onthe aircraft and the user of the electronic device selects a desiredservice or product for cellular connectivity (e.g., two hours ofconnectivity). The electronic device connects, via an on-boardcommunications network system, to the registration server using thecertificate generated during the ground-based registration. In responseto authenticating the certificate and establishing a secure connectionwith the electronic device, the registration server sends a locationupdate for the electronic device to the home network of the user and thehome network updates its home location register (HLR) accordingly.Therefore, the location of the electronic device is known within theterrestrial mobile network and the electronic device is configured toroam, as well as send and receive text messages and voice calls usingthe native subscription information.

The systems and methods offer numerous advantages and benefits. Inparticular, the systems and methods enable a subscriber's electronicdevice to be configured for cellular-based communications while theelectronic device is not connected to a cellular-based network, thusincreasing user availability and general communications capability.Further, the two-part registration enables the registration server toverify the identity of the electronic device, thus providing thesubscriber with added security and limiting instances of “spoofing.” Itshould be appreciated that other advantages and benefits of the systemsand methods are envisioned.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example representation 100 of componentsconfigured to facilitate a ground-based registration of an electronicdevice 105 with a registration server 114. As described herein, theground-based registration is performed when the electronic device 105 isconnected to a ground-based data and/or communications network.Generally, as referred to herein, a “ground” or “ground-based” networkrefers to any network that electronic devices may connect to while in aterrestrial environment, but may not easily communicate via while beingtransported by a high-speed or high-elevation vehicle such as anairplane. Typically, ground systems and ground computing devices may beessentially fixed in location, and base stations or infrastructurecontaining equipment via which devices may wirelessly access the groundsystem may be contained in one or more buildings or other structuresthat are fixedly attached to the ground or to earth. Although FIG. 1describes the registration as a ground-based registration, it should beappreciated that the registration may also be performed in anon-ground-based (i.e., non-terrestrial) communications network. Forexample, the electronic device 105 and the registration server 114 mayboth be located on board an aircraft, where the registration may befacilitated via an on-board communications network system.

The electronic device 105 may be any type of standalone or portableelectronic device capable of communicating via one or more networks. Forexample, the electronic device 105 may be a mobile phone, a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a tablet computer, a multimediaplayer, a desktop or notebook computer, an MP3 player, a digitalbroadcast receiver, or any other electronic apparatus. The electronicdevice 105 may also have a subscription or plan with a cellular servicesprovider, whereby the cellular services provider supports cellularcommunications conducted via the electronic device 105. The registrationserver 114 may any combination of hardware and software elementsconfigured to communicate with the electronic device 105 and facilitatethe functionalities described herein.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the electronic device 105 is configured toconnect to one or more ground-based networks 106. In embodiments, thenetwork 106 may be a wired or wireless wide area network (WAN); howeverit should be appreciated that the network 106 may also be a local areanetwork (LAN) or personal area network (PAN). Further, the network 106can facilitate any type of data communication via any wired or wirelessstandard or technology (e.g., GSM, CDMA, TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM,GPRS, EV-DO, UWB, IEEE 802 including Ethernet, WiMAX, WiFi, Bluetooth,and others). The electronic device 105 is configured to connect to anapplication server 104 via the one or more networks 106. The applicationserver 104 may be a digital distribution platform for providing one ormore applications to one or more requesting devices. For example, theapplication server 104 may be the Google Play™ platform, the Apple® AppStore^(SM) platform, the Windows Phone Store™ platform, the BlackBerryWorld™ platform, or other platforms.

According to embodiments, the electronic device 105 can download andinstall a communication application 103 from the application server 104.The communication application 103 may be developed and/or offered by theregistration server 114, whereby the communication application 103enables the electronic device 105 to register with the registrationserver 114. In particular, a user of the electronic device 105 canperform the ground-based registration with the registration server 114to create an account with the communication application 103. After theaccount for the communication application 103 is created, the user mayperform a secondary air-based registration with the registration server114 (as discussed with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4) to securely registerthe electronic device 105 with the registration server and to enable theelectronic device 105 to communicate over various air-bornecommunication networks, such as an air-to-ground (ATG) communicationnetwork for aircraft use. For example, the user may use the electronicdevice 105 while on an aircraft to send and receive cellular-basedcommunications (e.g., text messages and phone calls).

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the registration server 114 may be a part of adata center 110 that also includes an optional short message servicecenter (SMSC) 112 configured to facilitate various communicationsassociated with the ground-based registration. It should be appreciatedthat the SMSC 112 may be separate from or included in the registrationserver 114, or may be managed by or separately managed from theregistration server 114. The electronic device 105 can connect to thedata center 110 via the one or more networks 106. It should beappreciated that the network used to connect the electronic device 105to the application server 104 may be different from (or the same as) thenetwork used to connect the electronic device 105 to the data center110.

According to embodiments, a user of the electronic device 105 mayinitiate the ground-based registration via the communication application103. In particular, the communication application 103 can connect to theregistration server 114 via the network 106 (such as via a handshakeprotocol) and the registration server 114 can send a unique code to thecommunication application 103. A user of the electronic device 105 caninput the unique code into the communication application 103, and thecommunication application 103 can generate a short message service (SMS)message that includes the unique code. In some embodiments, the user mayuse a dedicated SMS messaging application of the electronic device 105to input the unique code, wherein the SMS messaging applicationgenerates the resulting SMS message. In any case, the resulting SMSmessage specifies a destination corresponding to the SMSC 112.Accordingly, the electronic device 105 can send the SMS message thatincludes the unique code to the SMSC 112 and, upon receipt, the SMSC 112can forward the SMS message to the registration server 114. It should beappreciated that the electronic device 105 can send the SMS messagedirectly to the registration server 114.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the registration server 114 may connect to ahome network 111 of the electronic device 105 via a cellular-basednetwork 108. The cellular-based network 108 may be a wide area network(WAN) configured to facilitate any type of data communication via anystandard or technology (e.g., GSM, CDMA, TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM,GPRS, EV-DO, UWB, and others). Generally, the home network 111 of theelectronic device 105 may be administered or provided by a cellularcommunications service provider with which the user (i.e., subscriber)of the electronic device 105 has an agreement to receive wirelesscommunications services and features. Accordingly, the home network 111of the electronic device 105 may administrate or manage a home locationregister (HLR) 115 and/or a visiting location register (VLR) (not shownin FIG. 1), among other databases or components, to support and managecellular communication, roaming, and other features for the electronicdevice 105. Additionally, the cellular radio frequency (RF)communications band utilized by the home network 111 to wirelesslycommunicate with mobile devices may be an RF band designated for AMPs,TDMA, CDMA, GSM, PCS, 3G, 4G, 5G, and/or any other terrestrial cellularradio frequency band. Generally, a cellular radio frequency band is aportion of RF spectrum that is allocated by a governmental agency orother body which governs the usage of spectrum. In some networks, morethan one cellular RF band may be supported.

The HLR 115 can include a database that stores identifications ofelectronic devices that are authorized to communicate via the homenetwork 111. In particular, for each authorized device, the HLR 115 canstore the corresponding international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI),which is a unique number that identifies each authorized device (or moreparticularly, identifies the SIM card of each authorized device). TheHLR 115 can also pair each IMSI with a mobile subscriber integratedservices digital network number (MSISDN) that corresponds to a telephonenumber of the authorized device.

According to embodiments, the registration server 114 can examine theSMS message sent by the electronic device 105 to identify a networksubscription of the electronic device 105, or more particularly, toidentify the MSISDN that is included in the SMS message, whereby thenetwork subscription identifies the home network 111. Further, theregistration server 114 can communicate with the HLR 115 of the homenetwork 111 to verify whether the network subscription identification(e.g., MSISDN) of the electronic device 105 matches a networksubscription identification stored in the HLR 115. If verified, the HLR115 can retrieve the corresponding device identification (e.g., IMSI)paired with the stored network subscription identification and send thedevice identification to the registration server 114. The registrationserver 114 may create an account associated with the communicationapplication 103 for a user of the electronic device 105. Further, acertificate authority 113 of the registration server 114 can generateand issue a digital certificate for the electronic device 105 accordingto various techniques. In embodiments, the certificate authority 113 cangenerate the certificate based on the identification of the electronicdevice 105 received from the HLR 115 of the home network 111.

FIG. 2 illustrates a signal diagram 200 associated with facilitating afirst, ground-based stage of a registration of a communicationapplication installed on an electronic device. According to embodiments,the signal diagram 200 may be facilitated while an electronic device 205is connected to a ground-based network. However, it should also beappreciated that the signal diagram 200 may be facilitated while theelectronic device is connected to a non-ground-based network, such as ifthe electronic device and a registration server are located on board avehicle such as an aircraft. The signal diagram 200 includes theelectronic device 205 (such as the electronic device 105 as discussedwith respect to FIG. 1), a registration server 214 (such as theregistration server 114 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1), an SMSC212 (such as the SMSC 112 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1), and anHLR 215 (such as the HLR 115 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1).

To initiate the ground-based network registration, the electronic device205 can download and install (216) a communication application. Inparticular, a user can cause the electronic device 205 to connect to anapplication server and download the communication application from theapplication server. The electronic device 205 may then locally installthe communication application. According to embodiments, the electronicdevice 205 may need to communicate with the registration server 214 sothe registration server 214 may create or set up an account for thecommunication application. Accordingly, the electronic device 205 andthe registration server 214 can exchange (218) handshake messages andestablish a communication channel, such as by using the transport layersecurity or secure sockets layer (TLS/SSL) protocol, as understood inthe art.

The registration server 214 can send (220) a unique code to theelectronic device 205 via the communication channel established in(218). A user of the electronic device 205 can compose a registrationSMS message that includes the unique code. In embodiments, the user mayuse a dedicated messaging application or the communication applicationitself to compose the registration SMS message. The electronic device205 can use, as a destination of the SMS message, a short code (e.g., anestablished five- or six-digit code) corresponding to the SMSC 212.Accordingly, the electronic device 205 can send (222) the SMS messagewith the unique code to the SMSC 212. After receiving the SMS message,the SMSC 212 can forward (224) the SMS message to the registrationserver 214. In some embodiments, the electronic device 205 can send theSMS message with the unique code directly to the registration server214.

Generally, the SMS message from the electronic device includes a uniqueidentification of a subscription that the electronic device 205 has witha cellular communications service provider, such as a provider thatmanages the home location register 215. For example, the subscriptionidentification can be a telephone number associated with the SIM card inthe electronic device 205. The subscription identification is differentfrom an identification of the electronic device 205 itself. For example,the subscription identification can be the mobile subscriber integratedservices digital network-number (MSISDN) and the electronic deviceidentification can be the international mobile subscriber identity(IMSI). Of course, the subscription identification can be associatedwith the electronic device identification. In particular, the HLR 215 ofhome network of the electronic device 205 can associate an MSISDN for auser subscription with an IMSI of the electronic device 205 for use withthat subscription. Although the subscription identification is describedas the MSISDN and the electronic device identification is described asthe IMSI, it should be appreciated that other subscription andelectronic device identifications are envisioned.

According to embodiments, to facilitate the ground-based registration ofthe electronic device 205, the registration server 214 can reconcile thesubscription identification (e.g., MSISDN) with the electronic deviceidentification (e.g., IMSI). In operation, the registration server 214can request (226) the HLR 215 of a home network for the IMSI associatedwith the MSISDN that was indicated in the SMS message received in (224).The HLR 215 of the corresponding cellular communications serviceprovider can maintain a database that includes associations betweenIMSIs and MSISDNs for electronic devices having a subscription with thecellular communications service provider. Responsive to receiving therequest, the HLR 215 can retrieve the IMSI for the electronic device 205based on the received MSISDN and send (228) the IMSI to the registrationserver 214. In some embodiments, the IMSI received from the HLR 215 maybe true (i.e., authentic) or pseudo (i.e., not authentic). Accordingly,the registration server 214 can request (230) the authenticity of theIMSI from the HLR 215 and the HLR 215 can send (232) an authenticitystatus to the registration server 214.

In some embodiments, the type of the electronic device 205 may vary. Forexample, the electronic device 205 may be equipped for the global systemfor mobile communications (GSM) access protocol or for the code divisionmultiple access (CDMA) access protocol. Accordingly, the registrationserver 214 may send requests to the HLR 215 that are based on the accessprotocol type of the electronic device 205. It should be appreciatedthat other access protocols are envisioned.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the electronic device 205 can establish (234)a secure connection with the registration server 214, such as an HTTPSconnection. It should be appreciated that the secure connection may beestablished at any time, such as in response to the handshake messageexchange (218) or in response to the retrieval and authentication of theIMSI. The registration server 214 can determine (236), based on theauthenticity status received from the HLR 215, whether the IMSI of theelectronic device 205 is authentic. If the IMSI is authentic (“YES”),the registration server 214 can create (238) an account for theelectronic device 205 using the retrieved IMSI. In particular, theaccount can be associated with the communication application installedon the electronic device 205, and the account can associate the MSISDNof the electronic device 205 included in the original SMS with the IMSIretrieved from the HLR 215, or can otherwise include the IMSI retrievedfrom the HLR 215. The registration server 214 can also request theelectronic device 205 (or the user thereof) for user credentials (e.g.,a username and password) to associate with the account.

The electronic device 205 can request (240) the registration server 214for a digital certificate, for example by sending a certificate signingrequest (CSR). The registration server 214 (or more particularly, acertificate authority thereof) can generate the certificate andissue/provide (242) the certificate to the electronic device 205.According to embodiments, the registration server 214 can generate thecertificate using the IMSI retrieved from the HLR 215, whereby theserial number of the certificate can include a portion or all of theIMSI. The electronic device 205 can then store (243) the certificate forfuture use. Processing may then proceed to (248), or to otherprocessing.

In (236), if the IMSI is not authentic (“NO”), the registration server214 can create (244) an account for the electronic device 205 withpartial information. In particular, the account can be associated withthe communication application installed on the electronic device 205,and the account can include the MSISDN of the electronic device 205 andoptionally the IMSI retrieved from the HLR 215, along with an indicationthat the IMSI is invalid. The registration server 214 can also notify(246) the electronic device 205 that registration of the communicationapplication must be completed at a later time, such as when theelectronic device 205 is connected to an air-based network. At (248),the electronic device 205 or the registration server 214 can terminatethe secure connection. At this point, the ground-based registration ofthe electronic device 205 may be deemed complete.

After the ground-based registration as described with respect to FIGS. 1and 2 is complete and the communication application account is created,the electronic device 105 is partially configured for cellular-basedcommunication via a non-terrestrial or air-borne network. It particular,the cellular-based communication may be understood to be sending andreceiving text messages (e.g., SMS messages), placing and receivingvoice calls, and roaming among cellular-based networks. As an addedlayer of security, an air-based (i.e., non-terrestrial network-based)registration may be completed to enable the electronic device to performthe cellular-based communications. FIG. 3 illustrates an examplerepresentation 300 of components configured to facilitate an air-basedregistration of an electronic device 305 (such as the electronic device105 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1) with a registration server 314(such as the registration server 114 as discussed with respect to FIG.1). According to embodiments, the air-based registration may befacilitated when the electronic device 305 cannot easily connect to aground-based network, such as when the electronic device 305 is locatedon an aircraft.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the electronic device 305 is transported by orotherwise located within a vehicle 317. In embodiments, the vehicle 317may be owned and/or operated by an individual, or the vehicle may beowned and/or operated by a company, organization or governmental entity.The vehicle may be one of a fleet of vehicles. The vehicle 317 may beused to transport passengers who pay for or otherwise are grantedpassage on the vehicle. The vehicle 317 may be used to transportexecutives or staff of a company or organization and their guests. Thevehicle 317 may be used to transport live or inanimate cargo, packages,mail, and/or other types of passengers or cargo. Furthermore, althoughFIG. 3 depicts the vehicle 317 as an aircraft, the techniques andprinciples described herein equally apply to other types of vehiclessuch as trucks, automobiles, busses, trains, boats, ships, barges,subway cars, helicopters, ambulances or other emergency vehicles,military vehicles, other air-borne, water-borne, or land-borne vehicles,and vehicles that are suitable for space travel.

The vehicle 317 is equipped with a wireless access point 319 and anon-board communications network system 321. At any given moment in time,the on-board communications network system 321 may be in communicativeconnection with one or more data or communications networks that aredisposed, managed, and/or hosted, for the most part (if not entirely),externally to the vehicle 317. For example, an external network may be apublic, ground-based data or communications network, such as theInternet and/or the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). Theexternal network may also be a ground-based private data and/orcommunications network. Further, the external network may be a cellularnetwork 307 that includes a cell site station 323. Typically, groundsystems and ground computing devices may be essentially fixed inlocation, and base stations or infrastructure containing equipment viawhich devices may wirelessly access the ground system may be containedin one or more buildings or other structures that are fixedly attachedto the ground or to earth.

The electronic device 305 can connect to the on-board communicationsnetwork system 321 via the wireless access point 319. Generally, theon-board communications network system 321 may be disposed, managed,and/or hosted entirely on-board the vehicle 317. For example, theon-board communications network system 321 may be a Wi-Fi network thatis contained and operates within the cabin of the vehicle 317. Theon-board communications network system 321 may utilize any knowncommunication protocol or combinations thereof, such as a wirelessprotocol, a wired protocol, other ARINC standard-compatible protocols,or a private protocol. In an example, the on-board communicationsnetwork system 321 utilizes an IEEE 802.11 compatible protocol tocommunicate with the electronic device 305. In another example, theon-board communications network system 321 utilizes a hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP) and a Near Field Communications (NFC)-compatibleprotocol (e.g., Bluetooth®) to communicate with the electronic device305.

The on-board communications network system 321 can also facilitate andmanage communications between the electronic device 305 and the cellsite station 323 of the cellular network 307. According to embodiments,the on-board communications network system 321 and the cell site station323 may collectively make up an air-to-ground (ATG) communicationnetwork for aircraft use. In embodiments, the on-board communicationsnetwork system 321 and the cell site station 323 can facilitate any typeof data communication via any wireless standard or technology (e.g.,GSM, CDMA, TDMA, WCDMA, LTE, EDGE, OFDM, GPRS, EV-DO, UWB, and others).

The cell site station 323 of the cellular network 307 can connect, viaone or more various wired or wireless networks, to a ground-based datacenter 329 having components for facilitating the air-based registrationof the electronic device 305 and enabling the electronic device 305 tosecurely perform cellular-based communications. In particular, the cellsite station 323 includes a session border controller (SBC) and sessioninitiation protocol (SIP) server 327 (which may be separate servers orcombined into the same server), IT middleware 325, and the registrationserver 314. The SBC/SIP server 327 can facilitate and managecommunication sessions between the electronic device 305 and the datacenter 329 using the SIP signaling communications protocol. The ITmiddleware 325 may record and verify product or service purchases madevia the communication application on the electronic device 305. Forexample, the IT middleware 325 may authenticate the purchase, by a userof the electronic device 305, of an hour of network connectivity duringa flight. The data center 329 may connect, via one or more various wiredor wireless networks, to an application server 304 (such as theapplication server 104 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1) tofacilitate the purchase of the selected products or services. Further,the data center 329 may also connect to a home network 311 and relatedHLR 315 associated with the electronic device 305 (such as the homenetwork 111 and HLR 115 as discussed with respect to FIG. 1) tofacilitate the cellular-based communications between the electronicdevice 305 and an end device/user.

FIG. 4 illustrates a signal diagram 400 associated with facilitating anon-terrestrial-based (i.e., air-based) registration. The signal diagram400 includes an electronic device 405 (such as the electronic device 305as discussed with respect to FIG. 3) and a data center 429 (such as thedata center 329 as discussed with respect to FIG. 3). The data center429 includes an SBC/SIP server 427 (such as the SBC/SIP server 327 asdiscussed with respect to FIG. 3), a registration server 414 (such asthe registration server 314 as discussed with respect to FIG. 3), ITmiddleware 425 (such as the IT middleware 325 as discussed with respectto FIG. 3), an HLR 415 (such as the HLR 315 as discussed with respect toFIG. 3), and an application server 404 (such as the application server304 as discussed with respect to FIG. 3). According to embodiments, thesignal diagram 400 may be facilitated while the electronic device 405 isconnected to a non-terrestrial-based network, such as while theelectronic device 405 is in flight on an aircraft. Further, the signaldiagram 400 may be facilitated after the electronic device 405 hascompleted the ground-based registration as discussed with respect toFIG. 2. It should be appreciated that the electronic device 405communicates with the various components (427, 414, 425, 404) via theon-board communications network system of the aircraft, as describedwith respect to FIG. 3. Accordingly, the “electronic device” 405 asdescribed with respect to FIG. 4 can be understood to also include theon-board communication network system.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the electronic device 405 can connect (450),via a wireless access point, to the on-board communications networksystem of the aircraft, and the on-board communications network systemmay assign the electronic device 405 an internet protocol (IP) address.A user of the electronic device 405 may also initiate the communicationapplication installed on the electronic device 405, whereby thecommunication application retrieves information about the flight (e.g.,flight number, duration, departure time, landing time) from the on-boardcommunications network system.

The user of the electronic device 405 can use the communicationapplication to communicate with the application server 404 and select topurchase (452) a service or product from a list of services or productsavailable through the application server 404. In embodiments, list ofservices or products may include various cellular connectivity optionsfor the electronic device 405 that are based on time durations, datalimits, or other parameters. For example, the list of services orproducts can include an option for two hours of connectivity on aparticular flight. According to embodiments, the on-board communicationsnetwork system can “whitelist” a location (e.g., a uniform resourcelocator (URL)) of the application server 404 (as well as a locationassociated with the data center 429 through which the electronic device405 connects to the application server 404) so that the electronicdevice 405 may connect to the application server 404 to facilitate thepurchase of the service or product. It should be appreciated that somesystems may not require the purchase of the product or service from theapplication server 404. Accordingly, the electronic device 405 mayinitiate a connection attempt with the SBC/SIP server 427 without havingto purchase the product or service via the communication application.

After the user has selected a service or product option, the electronicdevice 405 can provide (454) purchase information and an identification(e.g., its MSISDN and/or IMSI) to the IT middleware 425. The ITmiddleware 425 may verify (456) the purchase of the service or productwith the application server 404, such as through a check status requestand response. The electronic device 405 can initiate (458) a transportlayer security (TLS) connection with the SBC/SIP server 427 using adigital certificate. In particular, the certificate can be thecertificate that the registration server 214 issues to the electronicdevice 205 during the ground-based registration as discussed withrespect to FIG. 2. In this case, the SBC/SIP server 427 may act as aregistration authority (RA) for the electronic device 405 and canrequest (460) the registration server 414 for a status of thecertificate. The registration server 414 (acting as the certificateauthority (CA)) can validate (462) the certificate and send (464) asuccess response to the SBC/SIP server 427. Responsive to receiving thesuccess response, the SBC/SIP server 427 can establish (466) the TLSconnection with the electronic device 405.

After the TLS connection is established, the electronic device 405 canperform a session initiation protocol (SIP) registration by sending(468) a SIP registration request over the TLS connection to the SBC/SIPserver 427. In embodiments, the SIP registration request can include auniform recourse indicator (URI) that indicates the IMSI and/or MSISDNassociated with the electronic device 405, as well as the IP addressthat was assigned in (450). The SBC/SIP server 427 can decrypt the SIPregistration request and modify (470) the IP address associated with theelectronic device 405. In particular, the SBC/SIP server 427 can modifythe IP address to generate a care-of address (CoA) for the electronicdevice 405. Further, the SBC/SIP server 427 can send (472) an SIPregistration request to the registration server 414. In an optionalimplementation, the registration server 414 can challenge the SIPregistration request by requiring user credentials associated with theelectronic device 405, or more particularly user credentials of thecommunication application. Accordingly, the registration server 414 cansend (474) an SIP challenge request to the SBC/SIP server 427, and theSBC/SIP server 427 can forward the SIP challenge request to theelectronic device 405. A user of the electronic device 405 can inputuser credentials (or the electronic device 405 can automaticallypopulate the user credentials) and the electronic device 405 can submit(478) the user credentials to the SBC/SIP server 427. The SBC/SIP server427 can send (480) the SIP registration request with the usercredentials to the registration server 414. The registration server 414can then validate (or reject) the user credentials.

After validating the user credentials, the registration server 414 canupdate (482) a location of the electronic device 405 (or subscriberthereof) with the HLR 415 of the home network of the electronic device405 so that the location of the electronic device 405 is known to thehome network. According to embodiments, the location update request caninclude the IMSI of the electronic device 405. The HLR 415 can provide(484) a location update acknowledgement to the registration server 414.The registration server 414 can map (486) the CoA of the electronicdevice 405 generated in (470) to the URI (e.g., IMSI and/or MSISDN)included in the SIP registration request from the electronic device 405in (468).

If desired, the registration server 414 may update (487) a correspondingrecord of the registration server's 414 VLR (or other similar registeror listing) to indicate various information associated with the vehicleon which the electronic device 405 is traveling. For example, theregistration server 414 can update the record to include flight detailssuch as flight type (e.g., commercial aviation or business aviation),flight number, airline, aircraft ID, and/or other data, as well astoggle a corresponding call delivery field that enables incoming callsto be connected to the electronic device 405. In this way, theregistration server 414 is able to disable incoming calls that areintended for the electronic device 405 so as to comply with anyapplicable laws, regulations, or guidelines. The registration server 414can send (488) an SIP “okay” response to the SBC/SIP server 427 and theSBC/SIP server 427 can forward (490) the SIP “okay” response to theelectronic device 405. The two part registration of the electronicdevice 405 may now be deemed complete, and the electronic device 405 andthe SBC/SIP server 427 can terminate (492) the TLS connection.

After the two-part registration of the electronic device 405 iscomplete, the electronic device 405 is configured for cellular-basedcommunications according to the service or product plan selected in(452). In particular, the registration server 414 users the variousidentifications and mappings (e.g., IMSI, MSISDN, generated CoA) tofacilitate communications that originate from or are intended for theelectronic device 405. For example, an SMS message originating from theelectronic device 405 is sent to the registration server 414 via theon-board communications network system of an airplane, and theregistration server 414 can modify various data of the SMS message sothat when the registration server 414 sends the SMS message to adestination device, the destination device presents the SMS message toits user as if the electronic device 405 initiated the SMS message via aconventional cellular-based network.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example method 500 for facilitating a ground-basedregistration of an electronic device. The method 500 may operate inconjunction with any or all portions of the systems, vehicles and/orelectronic devices previously discussed with respect to FIGS. 1-4, orthe method 500 may operate in conjunction with other suitable systems,vehicles, and/or electronic devices. In an embodiment, at least aportion of the method 500 may be performed by a registration server,such as the registration server 214 as described with respect to FIG. 2.

At a block 531, the registration server may receive a communicationinitiated by an electronic device of a subscriber. The communication maybe an SMS message including a unique registration code and may bereceived by the registration server via an SMSC. At block 533, theregistration server may examine a subscription identification that isindicated in the communication to identify a home network of thesubscriber. In particular, the subscription identification may be anMSISDN associated with the electronic device, where the MSIDSN indicatesa cellular communications service provider with which the subscriber hasa cellular services plan.

At block 535, the registration server may provide the subscriptionidentification to the home network of the subscriber. As discussedherein, the HLR of the home network stores an association between thesubscription identification (e.g., the MSISDN) and an electronic deviceidentification (e.g., IMSI) so as to permit or authorize communicationsto and from the electronic devices that are registered with thesubscription. At block 537, the registration server may receive anidentification of the electronic device (e.g., the IMSI of theelectronic device) from the home network, whereby an HLR of the homenetwork associates the identification of the electronic device with thesubscription identification. At block 539, the registration server mayalso determine the validity of the identification. In particular, theregistration server may request the authenticity of the identificationof the electronic device from the home network, and the home network mayrespond with an authenticity status.

If the identification of the electronic device is not valid (“NO”),processing may end or proceed to other functionality. If theidentification of the electronic device is valid (“YES”), processing canproceed to block 541 at which the registration server may create anaccount for the subscriber, where the account includes theidentification of the electronic device. In particular, the account maybe associated with a communication application installed on theelectronic device and may also have an associated set of credentials forthe subscriber who is using the electronic device.

At block 543, the registration server may generate a digital certificatebased on the identification of the electronic device. In particular, theregistration server may generate the digital certificate with a serialnumber having at least a portion of the IMSI of the electronic device.At block 545, the registration server may provide the digitalcertificate to the electronic device via a secure connection.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example method 600 for facilitating anon-terrestrial-based (i.e., air-based) registration of an electronicdevice. The method 600 may operate in conjunction with any or allportions of the systems, vehicles and/or electronic devices previouslydiscussed with respect to FIGS. 1-4, or the method 600 may operate inconjunction with other suitable systems, vehicles, and/or electronicdevices. In an embodiment, at least a portion of the method 600 may beperformed by a registration server, such as the registration server 414as described with respect to FIG. 4 or the registration server thatperforms the method 500 as discussed with respect to FIG. 5. Further,the registration server may perform the method 600 after conducting theground-based registration as discussed with respect to FIG. 5.

At a block 647, the registration server may receive a connection requestinitiated by the electronic device of a subscriber while the electronicdevice is in communication with a non-terrestrial network. Inparticular, the communication may be a TLS connection request and mayinclude the digital certificate generated at block 543 of the method500. Further, the registration server may receive the communication viaan on-board communications network system of a vehicle (e.g., anairplane) in which the electronic device is located. At block 649, theregistration server may validate the digital certificate included in theconnection request. In embodiments, the registration server performs thevalidation by comparing the digital certificate included in theconnection request to a local copy of the digital certificate.

At block 651, the registration server may notify the electronic devicethat the digital certificate is valid. Accordingly, the electronicdevice may initiate an SIP registration and, at block 653, theregistration server may receive a session registration request initiatedby the electronic device, where the request includes a URI and a sourceaddress. In embodiments, the URI can include at least a portion of theIMSI and/or the MSISDN of the electronic and the source address can bean IP address assigned to the electronic device by the on-boardcommunications network system. At block 655, the registration server maymodify the source address to generate a care-of address (CoA) for theelectronic device.

At block 657, in some optional implementations, the registration servermay request the electronic device to provide credentials for thesubscriber to complete the air-based registration. A user of theelectronic device may populate (e.g., via the communication application)the credentials and at block 659, the registration server may receivethe credentials for the subscriber. At block 661, the registration mayauthorize the subscriber by reconciling the received credentials with astored version of the credentials. At block 663, the registration servermay provide a location update for the electronic device to a homenetwork of the subscriber so the electronic device is known to the homenetwork. In particular, the registration server can send the IMSI of theelectronic device to the home network and the home network can updateits HLR. At block 665, the registration server may associate the URIreceived at block 653 with the CoA. In some embodiments, theregistration server may also update a VLR to reflect certain dataassociated with the presence of the electronic device (e.g., flightdata), so as to enable itself to control calls that are destined for theelectronic device. The two-part registration of methods 500 and 600 maynow be deemed complete, and the registration server may send aconfirmation message to the electronic device as well as terminate theTLS session.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example method 700 for facilitating both aground-based registration and a non-terrestrial (e.g., air-based)registration of an electronic device. The method 700 may operate inconjunction with any or all portions of the systems, vehicles and/orelectronic devices previously discussed with respect to FIGS. 1-4, orthe method 700 may operate in conjunction with other suitable systems,vehicles, and/or electronic devices. In an embodiment, at least aportion of the method 700 may be performed by an electronic device of asubscriber, such as the electronic devices 205, 405 as described withrespect to FIGS. 2 and 4. The electronic device may have a communicationapplication installed thereon to facilitate at least a portion of themethod 700.

Block 767 of the method 700 indicates that the electronic device isconnected to a terrestrial (i.e., ground-based) network. In particular,the electronic device may connect to a registration server via any typeof ground-based LAN, PAN, or WAN. At block 769, the electronic devicemay send, to the registration server via the ground-based network, acommunication indicating a subscription identification associated withthe electronic device. In particular, the subscription identificationmay be the MSISDN associated with the electronic device and thecommunication may be an SMS message initiated by the communicationapplication.

At block 771, the electronic device may receive, from the registrationserver, a notification that an account has been established for thesubscriber. In embodiments, the account may be associated with thecommunication application installed on the electronic device. Further,the account may associate the subscription identification with anidentification of the electronic device (e.g., the IMSI of theelectronic device). At block 773, the electronic device may receive adigital certificate from the registration server. In some embodiments,the digital certificate may have a serial number that includes at leasta portion of the electronic device identification (e.g., the IMSI). Atblock 775, the electronic device may store the digital certificate inlocal storage. At this point, the ground-based registration of theelectronic device may be deemed complete.

After the ground-based registration of the electronic device is completeat block 777 of the method 700, the electronic device may connect to anon-terrestrial (i.e., air-based) network, such as an on-boardcommunications network system of an aircraft. At block 779, theelectronic device may connect (e.g., via the on-board communicationsnetwork system) to an application server to retrieve a list of at leastone connection service associated with cellular-based communications viathe non-terrestrial network. For example, the connection services maycorrespond to service durations, data transfer limits, or otherconnectivity services. At block 781, the electronic device may receive,from the subscriber, a selection of one of the at least one connectionservice.

At block 783, the electronic device may initiate a connection request tothe registration service, where the connection request can include thedigital certificate received at block 773 as well as an indication ofthe connection service selected at block 781. At block 785, theelectronic device may receive a notification from the registrationserver that the digital certificate is valid. In particular, theregistration server can reconcile the digital certificate sent at block783 with a copy of the digital certificate that was generated and issuedduring the ground-based registration. At block 787, the electronicdevice may establish a secure communication channel with theregistration server that may be used to facilitate sending and receivingthe cellular-based communications between the electronic device and enddevices. At this point, the air-based registration (and consequently thetwo-part registration) may be deemed complete.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of an example registration server 814which may operate in accordance with any of (and/or any one or moreportions of) the systems, methods, techniques and concepts discussedherein. In an embodiment, the registration server 814 may be theregistration servers 214, 414 as discussed with respect to FIGS. 2 and4.

The registration server 814 may include a processor 896 (which may becalled a controller, microcontroller or a microprocessor, in someembodiments) for executing computer-executable instructions, a programmemory 891 for permanently storing data related to thecomputer-executable instructions, a random-access memory (RAM) or othersuitable memory 897 for temporarily storing data related to thecomputer-executable instructions, and an input/output (I/O) circuit orcomponent 898, all of which may be interconnected via an address/databus or suitable bus 899. As used herein, the terms “computer-executableinstructions,” “computer executable instructions,” and “instructions”are used interchangeably.

The registration server 814 may include one or more network interfaces804 via which the registration server 814 may wirelessly connect withone or more respective networks 889 or devices. Generally, the networkinterfaces 804 enable the registration server 814 to connect to devicesand entities over respective cellular radio frequency (RF) bands, e.g.,AMPs, TDMA, CDMA, GSM, PCS, 3G, 4G, 5G, and/or any other terrestrialcellular radio frequency band. For example, the registration server 814may communicate with an electronic device via a terrestrial base stationor small cell using one or the network interfaces 804. Generally, theterm “cellular radio frequency band,” as used herein, refers to aportion of RF spectrum that is allocated by a governmental agency orother body which governs the usage of spectrum. The one or more networkinterfaces 804 may enable the registration server 814 to communicateover one or more cellular radio frequency bands (e.g., in terrestrialenvironments), and may include one or more corresponding transceivers.Although not shown in FIG. 8, the registration server 814 may alsoinclude one or more wireless network interfaces that enable theregistration server 814 to communication via non-cellular-basednetworks, such as local area networks.

With further regard to FIG. 8, it should be appreciated that althoughonly one processor 896 is shown, the registration server 814 may includemultiple processors 896. Similarly, the memory of the registrationserver 814 may include multiple RAMs (Random Access Memories) 897,multiple program memories 891, and/or one or more other data storageentities or types of memories 805. The RAM(s) 897, program memories 891,and/or the data storage entities 805 may be implemented as one or moresemiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, opticallyreadable memories, biological memories, and/or other tangible,non-transitory computer-readable storage media, for example.

Furthermore, the I/O circuit 898 may connect to a display device 802.For example, the display device 802 may enable a user or administratorof the registration server 814 to manage the registrationfunctionalities. The registration server 814 may also include otherelements common to general purpose computing devices (not shown).

The memory 891 can store an operating system 893 capable of facilitatingthe functionalities as discussed herein. The operating system 893 can beconfigured with (or be configured to interface with) a certificateauthority 895 to generate and issue certificates for electronic devices.The processor 896 can interface with the memory 891 to execute theoperating system 893 and the certificate authority 895, as well asexecute a set of applications 894 comprising computer-executableelectronic instructions for facilitating various registration features.In particular, the set of applications 894 can include a registrationapplication 806 configured to facilitate the registration techniques asdiscussed herein. It should be appreciated that other applications areenvisioned.

In some embodiments, the computer-executable instructions for the set ofapplications 894 may be configured to cause the registration server 814to perform one or more portions of one or more of the methods describedherein. The computer-executable instructions may be stored on atangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as onthe memory 891 or on some other suitable memory. Furthermore, thecomputer-executable instructions may be executable by the one or moreprocessors 896. The computer-executable instructions may be downloadedor otherwise delivered to the registration server 814.

FIG. 9 illustrates a block diagram of an example electronic device 905which may operate in accordance with any of (and/or any one or moreportions of) the systems, methods, techniques and concepts discussedherein. The electronic device 905 may be, for example, a smart phone, asmart device, a laptop, a tablet, an electronic reading device, or anyother communications or computing device that is configured tocommunicate wirelessly. In an embodiment, the electronic device 905 maybe the electronic device 205, 405 as described with respect to FIGS. 2and 4.

The electronic device 905 may include a processor 996 (which may becalled a controller, microcontroller or a microprocessor, in someembodiments) for executing computer-executable instructions, a programmemory 991 for permanently storing data related to thecomputer-executable instructions, a random-access memory (RAM) or othersuitable memory 997 for temporarily storing data related to thecomputer-executable instructions, and an input/output (I/O) circuit orcomponent 998, all of which may be interconnected via an address/databus or suitable bus 999. As used herein, the terms “computer-executableinstructions,” “computer executable instructions,” and “instructions”are used interchangeably.

The electronic device 905 may include one or more wireless networkinterfaces 901 via which the electronic device 905 may wirelesslyconnect with one or more networks 989 or devices. In an embodiment, theone or more wireless network interfaces 901 enable the electronic device905 to wirelessly connect to one or more other networks or devices thatare included or contained in a terrestrial or a non-terrestrialenvironment. For example, the electronic device 905 may communicativelyconnect to a non-terrestrial, local network (e.g., a non-terrestrialwireless Local Area Network (LAN) hosted on-board a vehicle) using awireless Ethernet protocol over one of the wireless network interfaces901. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic device 905 maycommunicatively connect to a local wireless network or device using aNear Field Communications (NFC) protocol (e.g., Bluetooth) over one ofthe wireless network interfaces 901. Generally, the one or more wirelessnetwork interfaces 901 may support any radio frequency band other thancellular radio frequency bands, and the one or more wireless networkinterfaces 901 may include one or more corresponding transceivers. In anembodiment, the wireless network interfaces 901 communicates with awireless access point (such as a wireless access point on an airplane),which allows the electronic device 905 to connect to an on-boardnetwork.

The electronic device 905 may further include one or more cellularwireless interfaces 904 to support communications over respectivecellular radio frequency (RF) bands, e.g., AMPs, TDMA, CDMA, GSM, PCS,3G, 4G, 5G, and/or any other terrestrial cellular radio frequency band.For example, the electronic device 905 may communicate with aterrestrial base station or small cell using one or the cellular networkinterfaces 904. Further, the electronic device 905 may communicate witha registration server (such as the registration server 814 as describedwith respect to FIG. 8) over a WAN using one of the cellular networkinterfaces 904. Generally, the term “cellular radio frequency band,” asused herein, refers to a portion of RF spectrum that is allocated by agovernmental agency or other body which governs the usage of spectrum.The cellular network interfaces 904 may allow the electronic device 905to communicate over one or more cellular radio frequency bands (e.g., interrestrial environments), and may include one or more correspondingtransceivers. In an embodiment, the one or more cellular networkinterfaces 904 are not used by the electronic device 905 to communicatein non-terrestrial environments. In an embodiment, the one or morewireless network interfaces 901 and the one or more cellular networkinterfaces 904 may each be independently activated and deactivated.

With further regard to FIG. 9, it should be appreciated that althoughonly one processor 996 is shown, the electronic device 905 may includemultiple processors 996. Similarly, the memory of the electronic device905 may include multiple RAMs (Random Access Memories) 997, multipleprogram memories 991, and/or one or more other data storage entities ortypes of memories 906. The RAM(s) 997, program memories 991, and/or thedata storage entities 906 may be implemented as one or moresemiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, opticallyreadable memories, biological memories, and/or other tangible,non-transitory computer-readable storage media, for example.

Furthermore, although the I/O circuit 998 is shown as a single block, itshould be appreciated that the I/O circuit 998 may include a number ofdifferent types of I/O circuits or connections. For example, a first I/Ocircuit may correspond to a display device 902, and the first or asecond I/O circuit may correspond to a user interface 903. The userinterface 903 in combination with the display device 902 may includevarious I/O components (e.g., capacitive or resistive touch sensitiveinput panels, keys, buttons, lights, LEDs, cursor control devices,haptic devices, and others). In embodiments, the display device 902 maybe a touchscreen display using singular or combinations of displaytechnologies and can include a thin, transparent touch sensor componentsuperimposed upon a display section that is viewable by a user. Forexample, such displays include capacitive displays, resistive displays,surface acoustic wave (SAW) displays, optical imaging displays, and thelike. The user interface 903 may further include an audio componentssuch as a microphone and/or a speaker. The electronic device 905 mayalso include other elements common to general purpose computing devices(not shown).

The memory 991 can store an operating system 993 capable of facilitatingthe functionalities as discussed herein. The processor 996 can interfacewith the memory 991 to execute the operating system 993 as well asexecute a set of applications 994 comprising computer-executableelectronic instructions for facilitating various registration features.In particular, the set of applications 994 can include a communicationapplication 907 configured to facilitate the registration techniques asdiscussed herein. For example, the communication application 907 cancommunicate with a registration server to receive a digital certificateand store the digital certificate in the memory 991. It should beappreciated that other applications are envisioned, such as a dedicatedSMS messaging application.

In some embodiments, the computer-executable instructions for the set ofapplications 994 may be configured to cause the electronic device 905 toperform one or more portions of one or more of the methods describedherein. The computer-executable instructions may be stored on atangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as onthe memory 991 or on some other suitable memory. Furthermore, thecomputer-executable instructions may be executable by the one or moreprocessors 996. The computer-executable instructions may be downloadedor otherwise delivered to the electronic device 905.

Of course, the applications and benefits of the systems, methods andtechniques described herein are not limited to only the above examples.Many other applications and benefits are possible by using the systems,methods and techniques described herein.

Moreover, although the foregoing text sets forth a detailed descriptionof numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that thescope of the patent is defined by the words of the claims set forth atthe end of this patent. The detailed description is to be construed asexemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment becausedescribing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if notimpossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, usingeither current technology or technology developed after the filing dateof this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.Thus, many modifications and variations may be made in the techniquesand structures described and illustrated herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present claims. Accordingly, it should beunderstood that the methods and apparatus described herein areillustrative only and are not limiting upon the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of issuing a certificate for anelectronic device of a subscriber, the method comprising: receiving aregistration request from the electronic device; responsive to receivingthe registration request: generating a code, and sending the code to theelectronic device, wherein the electronic device enables the subscriberto compose a communication, including enabling the subscriber to inputthe code into the communication using a communication applicationinstalled on the electronic device, the communication having adestination associated with a short message service center; receiving,from the short message service center, the communication composed on theelectronic device and including the code, the communication indicating asubscription identification; examining, using one or more processors,the subscription identification to identify a home network of thesubscriber; providing the subscription identification to the homenetwork of the subscriber; receiving an identification of the electronicdevice from the home network, the identification based on thesubscription identification; creating, for the subscriber using one ormore processors, an account associated with the communicationapplication; associating, within the account, the subscriptionidentification with the identification of the electronic device receivedfrom the home network; generating, using one or more processors, adigital certificate based on the identification of the electronicdevice; and providing the digital certificate to the electronic device.2. The method of the claim 1, wherein receiving the communicationcomprises: receiving a short message service (SMS) message composed onthe electronic device, the SMS message indicating a mobile subscriberintegrated services for digital network (MSISDN) number associated withthe electronic device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving theidentification of the electronic device from the home network comprises:receiving an international mobile subscriber identify (IMSI) of theelectronic device from the home network.
 4. The method of claim 1,further comprising: identifying, from the registration request, anaccess protocol associated with the electronic device, and whereinproviding the subscription identification to the home network of thesubscriber comprises: providing the subscription identification to thehome network according to the access protocol.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein in response to receiving the identification of the electronicdevice, the method further comprises: sending an authentication requestto the home network of the subscriber; and receiving an authenticationconfirmation from the home network indicating that the identification ofthe electronic device is valid.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinreceiving the communication comprises: receiving the communicationcomposed on the electronic device while the electronic device is incommunication with a non-terrestrial-based network.
 7. A system forissuing a certificate for an electronic device of a subscriber,comprising: a communication module adapted to connect to the electronicdevice and to a home network of the subscriber; a memory adapted tostore a set of non-transitory computer executable instructions; and aprocessor adapted to interface with the communication module and thememory, and configured to execute the non-transitory computer executableinstructions to cause the processor to: receive, via the communicationmodule, a registration request from the electronic device, responsive toreceiving the registration request: generate a code, and send the codeto the electronic device via the communication module, wherein theelectronic device enables the subscriber to compose a communication,including enabling the subscriber to input the code into thecommunication using a communication application installed on theelectronic device, the communication having a destination associatedwith a short message service center, receive, from the short messageservice center via the communication module, the communication composedon the electronic device and including the code, the communicationindicating a subscription identification, examine the subscriptionidentification to identify the home network of the subscriber, provide,via the communication module, the subscription identification to thehome network of the subscriber, receive, via the communication module,an identification of the electronic device from the home network, theidentification based on the subscription identification, create, for thesubscriber, an account associated with the communication application,associate, within the account, the subscription identification with theidentification of the electronic device received from the home network,generate a digital certificate based on the identification of theelectronic device, and provide, via the communication module, thedigital certificate to the electronic device.
 8. The system of claim 7,wherein to receive the communication, the processor is configured to:receive a short message service (SMS) message composed on the electronicdevice, the SMS message indicating a mobile subscriber integratedservices for digital network (MSISDN) number associated with theelectronic device.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein to receive theidentification of the electronic device from the home network, theprocessor is configured to: receive, via the communication module, aninternational mobile subscriber identify (IMSI) of the electronic devicefrom the home network.
 10. The system of claim 7, wherein the processoris further configured to: identify, from the registration request, anaccess protocol associated with the electronic device, and wherein toprovide the subscription identification to the home network of thesubscriber, the processor is configured to: provide, via thecommunication module, the subscription identification to the homenetwork according to the access protocol.
 11. The system of claim 7,wherein in response to receiving the identification of the electronicdevice, the processor is configured to: send, via the communicationmodule, an authentication request to the home network of the subscriber,and receive, via the communication module, an authenticationconfirmation from the home network indicating that the identification ofthe electronic device is valid.
 12. The system of claim 7, wherein toreceive the communication, the processor is configured to: receive thecommunication composed on the electronic device while the electronicdevice is in communication with a non-terrestrial-based network.
 13. Amethod in an electronic device of registering the electronic device of asubscriber with a registration server, the method comprising: sending aregistration request to the registration server; responsive to sendingthe registration request, receiving a code from the registration server;enabling the subscriber to compose a communication, including enablingthe subscriber to input the code into the communication using acommunication application installed on the electronic device, thecommunication having a destination associated with a short messageservice center and indicating a subscription identification; sending thecommunication to the short message service center for delivery to theregistration server, wherein the registration server uses thesubscription identification to retrieve an identification of theelectronic device from a home network of the subscriber; receiving, fromthe registration server, a notification that an account has beenestablished for the subscriber, wherein the account (i) associates thesubscription identification with the identification of the electronicdevice retrieved from the home network and (ii) is associated with thecommunication application; establishing, using one or more processors, asecure connection with the registration server; receiving a digitalcertificate from the registration server via the secure connection,wherein the registration server generates the digital certificate basedon the identification of the electronic device; and storing, in a memorydevice, the digital certificate.
 14. The method of claim 13, whereinsending the communication to the short message service center comprises:sending the communication while in connection with anon-terrestrial-based network.
 15. The method of claim 13, whereinsending the communication to the short message service center comprises:sending the communication indicating a mobile subscriber integratedservices for digital network (MSISDN) number associated with theelectronic device.